Musings of a Hawaiian Expedition
by MitsukiTachibana
Summary: Fleet Detachment Flagship Battleship Arizona and Battlecruiser Alaska have been tasked with the interdiction of Hawaii. They spend their time sightseeing in Honolulu and mostly shirking their duties though. Fleet Flagship Iowa doesn't see a problem with it, but New Jersey is worried that the others may become corrupted by humans. Just what is Iowa's plans in all this?
1. Honoring a Namesake

Author's Note:

So begins the closest thing to a slice of life adventure as can be written for _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ ( _Arpeggio of Blue Steel_ ). This will follow the adventures of the members of the 2nd American Fleet of the Fog, specifically the Eastern Patrol and Hawaiian Interdiction squadrons. It focuses on Fleet Detachment Flagship Arizona (Az) and Battlecruiser Alaska (Aska). This particular chapter is not lighthearted.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters.

* * *

Honoring a Namesake

Cast – Arizona, Amanda Kincaid

A fairly gray and solemn morning in Honolulu heralded an incoming storm. Warm and humid, as was typical of Oahu and all of Hawaii, it seemed fitting for visiting what the brochure called memorials. She knew the dictionary definition of the word, but she was curious as to what the humans would make of it in practice.

It seemed best to visit this kind of thing now, with Alaska otherwise occupied. Aska had expressed an interest in the human activity of 'surfing', so while it held no special interest for her; after all, if she wished to ride waves she had a hull for that, she did encourage the battlecruiser to indulge.

Her curiosity found her on a launch bound for the _U.S.S. Arizona_ memorial. This was the ship she was named for, though Az herself did not really know where they came from or why she and this old warship shared a name. She felt compelled to visit this site, and perhaps she would find out why by doing so.

She had picked up a ticket at the visitor's center, which she got for free by saying she was a student. Which was not a lie; she was officially alumni for the Lexington Fog University.

She had also received a lei of local flowers. The garland was a little out of place with her normal attire of blue and white sailor style school uniform, though hers was a button-up shirt with a small tie and small Fog fleet symbols on the collar. She had small shoulder epaulettes that held a wide gold stripe each along with fog fleet symbols above it and a single braided gold shoulder cord on her right. Her blue skirt was fairly long and the same blue color as her leggings. Breaking the look a little, she wore white tennis shoes. Her little wren hat also held a fog symbol and sat among her red hair. The girl had a single loose ponytail which reached about waist length.

Leaning on the rail of the launch, she and a small collection of school age children and a few adults steadily moved closer to the solemn white building that straddled the wreck of the old battleship.

"So, you come here often?" A rather average looking specimen of human masculinity inquired of her.

Az shifted her pale green eyes in his direction in a sideways glance, but did not dignify his attempt with a response.

Unphased, the man continued, "So are you some kind of navy officer or something?"

She raised an eyebrow and flatly replied, "Something like that."

Encouraged by a response he continued, "Yeah, you like an admiral or something, you got a single bar instead of individual stripes."

"More like a Commodore, I suppose, I am a fleet detachment flagship." She offhandedly replied.

 _She's a flagship? What exactly does that mean?_ He quirked an eyebrow as he continued, "So you manage to get here from the mainland? You don't seem to have gotten much sun."

Az's mental model was rather pale skinned with a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, thought they were very faint. She merely shrugged, "I just formed this way."

The man made to reply before shaking his head, "you know what, never mind. Have a nice day."

She did not reply as they had arrived at the dock and she made her way to the memorial behind the small group of people. Inside the structure she cast her gaze over the entirety of the white hall. The replica of the ship as she had originally looked was a striking image of her own hull, though it lacked their advanced systems or her own bright red sigils.

Walking about for a bit, she reaches the center of the memorial and leans against railing gazing over the edge at the ship below, to her it is not much more than a shell. Her thoughts drift to battles she has fought, to that one battle against all of the naval power of the humans and all the smaller skirmishes since.

While lost in her internal processes, a young girl approaches her. Tugging on Arizona's sleeve, she smiles up at the mental model, "Hi, I'm Amanda. My school is taking a field trip. Do you work here? So what do you think of the monument, huh?"

Az sighs, "I'm not sure. It is just a wreck, but it seems to hold a special place for you all. It just isn't something I know how to classify. As a weapon, if I were to be sunk, that would be it. I fulfilled my duty. I also think you shouldn't talk to strangers."

Amanda waved her off, "it's okay, you are a sailor, and they protect people from bad guys in their ships."

"What if I was one of those bad guys?" She asked quietly.

Amanda looked at her with a serious expression before smiling, "you seem like a good person, I don't think you are bad."

Az showed Amanda the smallest of smiles before looking back out at the bay and the wreck beneath them, "so what do you think of all of this?"

Amanda thought for a moment before smiling and grabbing Az's hand and pulling her to the end of the hall. There before both of them was the memorial wall upon which all the names of those Navy and Marines that had died with the _Arizona_.

Amanda gestured to the wall, "this is a memorial, everyone who gave their lives on this ship are written here."

Arizona regards the wall before replying, "I see the names, I understand the definition of the word, but I don't understand why humans feel the need to do this."

"It's about remembering. Remembering the sacrifices, remember the cost. We can't forget this, this is part of what made us who we are now." The girl paused, "wouldn't you be sad if no one remembered you?"

Az considered for a moment before looking up at the memorial, "I… I, don't know. If I ceased being, my hull sunk and my core destroyed, I would just cease to be. I would have fulfilled my purpose as a weapon. What else could there be?"

Amanda looks up at Az with her brown eyes questioning, a very interesting expression for a child, "what about family and friends?"

Arizona considers this briefly, visions of Alaska, Missouri, Saratoga, and Helena flash to her mind, but she shakes her head, "I don't know."

Somewhere further back near the entrance a young woman calls out, "Amanda!"

Amanda calls out, waving, "ms. Ambrose I'm over here." Turning to Az she smiles and shakes her hand, "I've got to get back to school. Bye bye!"

Az waves briefly at the running girl, "good bye."

Az now alone, except for a few scattered patrons, thinks about her discussion with Amanda. She touches the wall briefly and carefully removes her lei, placing it at the floor of the memorial.

Scanning the wall, recording every name, she whispers to herself, "I'll remember. Please rest easy."

* * *

Reading between the lines:

Amanda is amazingly insightful and knowledgeable eh?

Arizona is already a bit influenced by humans at this point. It is worth noting that the PACOM is aware of the mental models entering Honolulu and partaking of things found there. As you will find out, they are under observation.

Story notes:

This is still based off an anime/manga, however unlike their depictions of Lexington, this is not American ships filtered through Japanese writers. This is still anime/manga derived work so hairstyles, design aesthetics, and situations will be geared towards such things.

Arizona and her fellow squadron mates have been in Hawaii for at least a few weeks at this point and this is set before New Jersey and Lexington take their fleet elements towards the situation in Japan. Likely things will not be impacted much by the manga, though I've only read up to where Lexington meets U-2501.


	2. Out in Town

Author's Note:

We finally get to meet Battlecruiser Alaska (Aska), a rather important U.S. Navy Officer, Captain Ramirez, and The high Battleship Missouri (Missi). It sees the return of Az and Amanda as well. This would just be a day in the life of a couple of quasi-slackers, but really they are fulfilling their duties and conducting valuable research on their opposition. Lexington might argue about objectivity and such, but well, she's special.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters.

* * *

Out in Town.

Cast – Arizona, Alaska, Amanda Kincaid, Missouri, Halina Keahi, Captain Ramirez

"Ahhhh, it's nice to move again! I don't think I could have spent another couple of hours in that book store. I was starting to have flashbacks to Lex's library torture sessions." Stated a tall, slightly tanned brunette as she stretched her arms above her head.

The brunette completed her little stretch with a flick of one of her twin tails before twirling her little shopping bag.

The shorter red head next to her gave her a sideways glance while rolling her green eyes, "it's called research, Lexington takes her Fog University thing very seriously. Just like Hiei of the Oriental fleet does with her Fog Student Council of whatever. Still, Aska, you complain and yet you bought a whole bunch of books."

Alaska blinked her amber eyes a moment in thought before shrugging, "it's something called manga, like comics… these are, what did he call them shoujo-ed or something. The guy at the bookstore said they were good information for girls."

"I don't think… you know what, sure, have fun with that." Az replied with a mischievous smile.

Aska, unfazed by Arizona, pointed out a small restaurant, "Hey let's do that human thing of lunch over there, it look like a good place."

Az staged whispered to Aska, "Not so loud with the human thing, for all everyone knows, we all are just that. Besides that though, what makes you think that place is good?"

"It has great Feng Shui, now come on." Alaska stated as she grabbed Arizona's hand and dragged her over to the entrance.

"What?" Was all that Az was able to reply before being dragged into the café called 'Athena's Hawaiian Eatery'.

The small bell above the door gave a pleasant trio of little metallic chimes as they entered. The establishment itself was very airy, bright, and quaint. Seating was very much like that of a typical diner style with bench seats, booths, and linoleum tables. There were only about a half-dozen or so other patrons other than the two of them and most were engrossed in their own things.

Az's eyes roamed over the other patrons and locked with the bright gray orbs of a familiar fourteen year old girl in a local school uniform. The girl, who carried a rather bored looking expression, brightened up when their gazes met and she waved excitedly, "ma'am, Miss Lady, over here!"

Aska gave a curious look to her companion who merely gestured with her head towards the young girl's table. The two mental models slid into the booth next to one another.

"Hiya ma'am, nice to see you again!" Amanda said as she greeted them both with a smile.

"Just call me Az, not ma'am, and this here is Aska. Aska, Amanda." Az gestured between the two as she introduced each of them.

Aska waved a little, her confident air greatly diminished, "uh, hey."

"Hi, hi." Replied Amanda with a small wave.

A woman in her early twenties approached the table. Her hair was a dark near-black color, she had heavy tanned skin, and was wearing a simple floral design dress with a small name tag that read 'Halina Keahi'. "Aloha awakea," she began, "welcome to Athena's, I am Halina, and menus are at the end of the table. Let me know when you are ready to order."

Amanda handed menus to both of the girls. Who perused them as if they were highly technical manuals. After a moment or two, Arizona waved to Halina, who approached the table. She produced a small pad of paper and waited patiently.

Az spoke first, "could I get a plate lunch with lau lau pork? A papaya and passion fruit soda too."

Aska nodded, "uh, same… can I also get some spam musubi too?"

Halina nodded as she finished writing.

"Oh, can I get some coffee mochi ice cream?" Asked Amanda.

"Sure, I will be back with your drinks in a moment." Halina replied before heading to the kitchen window to place the food order.

The barest of silences reigned before Amanda again began talking, "so a bit more casual today? You were really formal yesterday."

Az shrugged as she received her drink from Halina who had returned, "Aska thought it more appropriate then our usual attire. Short sleeved, loose blouses are supposedly good for hot days like today."

"Jeans too, but Az always has to wear a skirt that at a minimum has to reach her knees." Aska sighed as she twirled her straw.

Amanda giggled, but Az gave her a serious expression, "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Amanda gave a frustrated sigh, "yes, but everything there is boring. I already finished like my whole years' worth of work last week and tested out of each of the classes. I only go for like half a day for attendance records and then at lunch I'm off. I have to do this for another two years until I'm sixteen then I can test out of my high school classes and start taking university stuff."

Arizona raised an eyebrow at that rant before filing that information away for later, "so you waiting here for your friends to get out?"

Amanda huffed, "sure, let's go with that."

"Hmmm, I see." Az flatly stated.

"Ugh, I know that tone. Look, it's not like I haven't tried, but it's not like anyone wants to discuss my conceptualization of semiconductor nanomaterials or my hypothesis for forming coherent phonons in a superlattice. Everyone just stares and giggles or yells at me and calls me a freak." Amanda grumbled as she pushed coffee mochi balls around with her spoon.

The other two's food had arrived and both readily dug in. It was Aska that spoke next. She made a few fairly baseline comments regarding nanomaterials and within moments, the two were chatting very animatedly about nanomolecular engineering.

Alaska leaned back on the bench with a stretch and a light-hearted groan, "geez, I'm a literal Artificial Intelligence with a quantum processor and you have my logic functions spinning. You are one smart kid."

Arizona gave her fellow warship a flat stare.

Amanda huffed at Arizona, "oh come on, it's not like you guys aren't so obvious. Especially with the whole 'I'm just a weapon' thing yesterday, and calling yourself a 'fleet detachment flagship' to that guy."

"It isn't about that, it's them." Arizona sighed as she gestured to Halina who was next to their table looking rather worried, as well as the other patrons who were staring, "I'd rather not cause problems for you."

Amanda sweatdropped and scratched the back of her head, "ah, yeah. I'm the one that has to really live here, gotcha."

The clientele eventually returns to their own business, leaving the trio to continue their own conversations, albeit a bit more quietly. Halina bowed respectfully and withdrew back behind the counter.

A few minutes later, the bell above the door chimes, signaling yet more customers for the café. Yet these newcomers cause Amanda to start and swallow nervously when she catches sight of them.

A foursome of military types, two navy shore patrol, one rather grim and stoic marine gunnery sergeant, and an older man in a standard navy kaki uniform. What stands out about the man in the kakis, would be the distinct silver eagles he wears for rank insignia.

Amanda, so obviously not subtly, tries to subtly get the attention of the two mental models. However, the navy captain notices them before they notice him and he cautiously approaches the table. Clearing his throat to gain their attention, long before getting too close, he gestures to the three others with him to hang back, which they reluctantly do.

Aska tenses, a hand underneath the table forming a small red glowing ball of energy. Az places a hand on her shoulder and with a small shake of her head, dissuades any aggressive action from Alaska.

The captain, hat in hand, waits for a moment, gauging the expressions of the two mental models before speaking, "pardon the intrusion, my name is Ramirez. I am tasked with certain internal affairs at Pearl, and I seem to have a bit of an issue that I could use your assistance with."

"I don't see how your problems affect us any." Flatly stated Alaska. Arizona just raised an eyebrow as she watched Ramirez.

"Ah, well, you see this is a bit of a problem for both of us. A certain, Missi as she called herself, is causing a bit of a ruckus at the _U.S.S. Missouri_ memorial."

Aska facepalms while Az replies, "I don't have authority over Missouri, Captain Ramirez."

"Perhaps you could talk to her, or someone who does and well perhaps ask her to settle down a bit? She seems very pleased that we have a ship that shares her name and likeness, but well… we'd appreciate not having any damage to it or the memorial, it is important to us. Just like the _U.S.S. Arizona_ memorial."

Az's eyes widen briefly, but she schools her expression quickly, looking down at her lap with a sigh. "Okay, we'll have a chat with her."

Aska is noticeably surprised, but stands, allowing Az to rise to her feet and accept the escort of the captain and his entourage.

"Wait, can I come too?"

Captain Ramirez began to speak, but was immediately interrupted by Arizona, "Yes." She pointedly glared at Ramirez, "you interrupted our lunch."

"My apologies. It was not my intention."

While the odd group boards the government car, Az and Aska speak directly to one another over their private tactical network.

***Entering tactical network***

"Well, Missouri isn't responding, it's just an automated message." Aska gestures to a holographic screen with a chibi Missouri giving an akanbe face to the viewer.

"Let me see if I can contact New Jersey then." Az attempted to establish contact with New Jersey, but the line was diverted.

"Hey there, hi there. New Jersey is unavailable at the moment so she has instructed me, Wichita, to say whatever it is that you need, handle it yourself. 'K? Bye now!"

Arizona sighed, "Cruisers these days, no respect for battleships. I guess we are on our own."

***Logging off tactical network***

In the car, Aska suddenly blurted out, "What do you mean cruisers have no respect for battleships, I respect you just fine… um, yeah, never mind."

"I wanted to say again, that I am sorry to bother you with this kind of thing, but well…"

Az waved it off and quietly replied, "no it's fine, it is kind of our fault really."

The Captain nodded, "I appreciate that, your situations here are unique. Your auxiliaries transport food and essential supplied from god knows where to us here on the islands. And all you ask for is a place to domicile yourselves in Honolulu. Yet you still sink any ship that exits the safety of the seawall."

Aska shrugged, "this is a nice place, humans need to eat and stuff. But you know, we have orders and all so yeah, interdict your maritime activities and well aircraft as well. Sorry… kinda?"

The uncomfortable silence in the vehicle lasted the rest of the journey from downtown Honolulu to Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. Az remembered the area fairly well, but this was the first time Alaska had come here.

"So do they have a Battlecruiser Alaska memorial anywhere?" Inquired Alaska because she was curious, not at all because of jealously. Nope.

Ramirez scratched his chin, "To the best of my knowledge, Alaska and her sister ship Guam were build late into World War 2. They both served about three years, were mothballed, and eventually sold for scrap.

Aska went from very interested and happy to dejected in a matter of moments. In another minute she was again standing straight with a determined look in her eye, "It's fine, you all just don't understand the majesty of the battlecruiser."

The gunnery sergeant, who had been silent the whole time, chose now to speak, "so who would win if you both fought?"

Aska and Az both gave each other sideways glances before both regarded the humans (except Amanda who was next to Az) in front of them with long looks.

It was Az that spoke, "that wasn't even a very good try. We of the Fog aren't so easy to set off you know."

Ramirez nodded sagely, "it would seem so." He gestured towards the ship moored in the bay at its own custom pier. "Shall we?"

Amanda walked beside Arizona as they approached the vessel, "So was Missouri interested in the ship's history and significance?"

Aska rubbed the back of her head with a hand as she spoke, "well big sis is…"

From above a high pitched voice carried excited words, "Az! Aska! Hey! Look at this! They built a shrine to my amazingness!"

From the highest point on the old battleship's superstructure a singular figure was waving frantically. Leaping from that point, she sailed down right in front of the other two mental models upon a multilayered cushion of yellow hexagonal energy projections.

She stood taller than Alaska, but only by half a foot at most. She had a lightly tanned, brown complexion with very dark chestnut hair and equally brown eyes. She was clothed similarly to Aska, but with gray jeans and dark green crop top. Her choker style necklace was adorned by a fog symbol. Her hair was braided into a pony tail on her right side with a decorative black flower where the tail begins and a green ribbon at the end of the tail.

"Or, she could be silly and superficial." Muttered Amanda.

"Yeah, like normal ficial, only wearing a cape!" Missi grinned while gesturing to everyone else, "Because you know, like, superman… a cape… oh, come on!"

Aska shook her head, "nope, sorry that's not even worth the resources necessary to vocalize."

"But it doesn't require any resources to… oh, I see what you did there. Anyways, you two, help me tow this magnificent representation of yours truly to Kaho'olawe. Missi wants to make a house out of it."

"Now see here, that isn't up for grabs in this." Captain Ramirez interjected.

Missi's entire demeanor shifted in an instant, gone was the happy, energetic girl and in its place was a cold, calculating woman. "Oi, grandpa, who said you had any say in this?"

Missi punctuated this statement with the sudden and instant surfacing of the fog battleship Missouri, directly starboard of the memorial and perfectly parallel to it, inside the protected harbor without having passed through the locks. Fairly quickly multiple alarms came to life around the harbor.

With Amanda clinging to her side, Az quickly shifted her gaze between Ramirez and Missouri. Behind Ramirez, the three men drew their weapons leveling them at threats they barely understood. Next to Az, Aska tensed.

"Did you forget who we are, old man? I alone could wipe out all life on the Hawaiian Islands… from right here, in twenty seconds flat."

Ramirez took a step back, "how the hell did you get that past the barrier?"

"I'm a high battleship of the Fog, my capabilities vastly outstrip these two." Missi replied as she brushed her sleeve for any dust particles that may have settled on it.

Ramirez directed his attention to Arizona and Alaska, "We asked you here to help resolve this. We've been very accommodating thus far, we even gave you both a beach house…"

Missi immediately interrupted both physically and verbally by grabbing the smaller red-headed battleship by her arms, "did he say beach house?"

Az nodded, "yes, Waialae… private beach, much nicer than the one their people spy on us from."

Missouri grinned widely and snapped her fingers, her battleship hull disappearing into fine gray sand, "well why didn't you say so in the beginning? Missi was just bluffing, no hard feelings?"

Ramirez waved his hands to his three men who hesitantly stood down, "Yes… give me a moment please, I need to calm down our… response to your, jest."

"I like him, he's smart. No offense with the grandpa and old man thing."

Ramirez waved her off, respectfully, as he spoke into a radio provided by the gunnery sergeant.

"So how did you two score a beach house?"

Az looked away briefly before answering, "you know, some stuff and all."

"Misappropriating Fog resources and assets again, I see, I see." Missi nodded to herself while holding her chin and with her eyes closed.

Az blushed furiously as Aska sputtered.

Ramirez approached Amanda and the trio of mental models, interrupting their little exchange, "Well I've sorted that out, looks like they won't nuke us after all."

Missi perked up, "Oh, you were going to use nukes? That might be fun, I bet we could take a few." She eyed Ramirez as she spoke, "You wanna have a go?"

The captain put up his hands defensively, "now, now, it's just an expression. No need to get excited."

Amanda tugged at Arizona's shirt to get her attention, "Big sister is scary."

Missouri's expression soured, her visage darkening as she leaned down aggressively towards Amanda, "Hey human, I ain't your big sis… ow, ow, ow!"

Deftly Az stepped in-between the two, grabbing and twisting the larger girl's arm as she literally growled in Missi's face, "do not threaten Amanda."

"Okay, uncle, uncle! Geez girl, Missi is just being Missi." Directing her gaze back towards the school age girl while rubbing her arm she smirked a bit, "you must be something to get Az react like that."

Amanda stared at her shoes as she replied, "I'm not ma'am…"

Missi shrugged, "don't call Missi ma'am, just… just call me big sis, or Missi-neechan like all those oriental fleet ships do."

Amanda, despite the tenseness previously giggled at that response.

Arizona meanwhile bowed her head towards Missouri, "I'm sorry for acting like that."

Missi waved it off before clasping both hands behind her neck and closing her eyes, "Missi forgives you. Now, beach house!"

"Yes, yes… it's a long drive from here." Stated Aska as Az sighed.

"Missi doesn't care, let's go. We should invite Helena, maybe Sara…"

The trio of mental models plus Amanda, with Ramirez and his men following, head back towards the government issued car for a trip back to the beach house.

* * *

Reading between the lines:

If I had my way, Captain Ramirez would be played by Sean Connery (but he'd be a bit too old to still be in the navy and only O-6). Like many officials in the manga, it could be assumed that he has an agenda outside of just keeping the peace and one would think he is very foolhardy or reckless to approach two, and finally three, mental model with just two Shore Patrol and a Marine (even if one of them is a Marine). I'm just illustrating that there is a kind of understanding between Arizona and Ramirez.

Amanda is a genius, a natural born one and not a tailor made genetic experiment or a design child. All of it is math, science, and history... she is actually really bad at spelling, and the typical cliche traits of common things like cooking, common sense, and such.

Missi really was bluffing with the appearance of her hull, it was little more than a decoy that she would have dissipated if they fired on it with missiles or guns so that the humans would hit their memorial ship. She is just that spiteful. She also tends to refer to herself in the third person irregularly. She does this because its manga/anime, and for no other reason than just that. It's a quirk. She isn't bluffing though about taking a few nukes though. Fully powered up and working in tandem, the three of them could combine their abilities and a three layered waveform armor could survive a strike.


	3. Arpeggio Scramble

Author's Note:

Another day in the lives of the Hawaiian Interdiction Squadron. This time they are tasked with some reconnaissance and observations of humans. A curious topic for Lexington to be looking into. This chapter also catches things up to the beginning of the manga and well it also serves to remind everyone that they are still Warships of the Fog.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters. I also do not own _Yuri Seijin Naoko-san_ or any of its characters.

* * *

Arpeggio Scramble

Cast – Arizona, Alaska, Missouri, Lexington, Saratoga

For the third time this morning, Aska groaned out loud, "Tell me again why we have to be doing this?"

Arizona stifled a sigh and instead took a long sip of her Earl Gray tea, "We are doing this because Lexington requested extended observations on human cultural interactions."

"So why can't she send in one of the submarines, they are meant for reconnaissance."

Az pinched the bridge of her nose, not that it helped, but it seemed to be the right response for this situation, "You just want the opportunity to say it…"

"Release the Kraken!" Aska laughed a bit, "Yeah, I always wanted to say that."

"And Kraken wouldn't appreciate it."

Taking a long sip of her coffee, Aska sighed, "at least the coffee is good."

The pair of mental models continue to 'casually' watch the people as they go about their day-to-day activities. Arizona enjoys the relative peace of her observations until it is inevitably broken by her companion.

"So Lex gave me another one of those smug looks again when I went to discuss my important research with her, over the comm-network."

"You don't say." Az replied in a disinterested manner, _Please don't say_.

"She just isn't taking my Shoujo-ed research very seriously. Those manga are very informative, and one can learn a lot about a culture through their art."

 _If even half of that is any relation to actual Japanese culture, then the Oriental fleets are doomed._ Az thinks to herself.

"You know there are some really interesting social interaction procedures, and the methods of interfacing between two individuals is rather… curious. I think we should probably attempt some of these processes and procedures ourselves…" Aska begins only to be waved off by Az.

"Let's just focus on the task at hand. This information collection is the primary objective, any other operations would not be relevant to the data points."

The observations continue in silence again for a few minutes before Arizona breaks it with her own comments. "I think Lexington is trying to discern if there is some factor in humans that we might benefit from."

"After what Missouri dropped on us a few days ago, after we pulled her away from that old memorial, I guess I can see why."

Arizona nodded briefly in reply, "To think that the humans could manage to sink one of our own. A battleship no less. A Fast battleship and fleet flagship like Hyuuga, with specialized flagship equipment, should be beyond their military capabilities."

"There hasn't been this much activity on network since Yamato returned from, where ever, with the first mental model. The chatter from Hyuuga's previous escorts was that it was our weapon types and one of our own."

Az nodded, "it is. If you access the Tactical Network, you will see that I-401 is active again and she is claiming credit for the kill."

"Huh, I guess things are getting interesting over there." Aska states as she continues to observe the people around her.

A trio of humans walk by, which would not be interesting except for the fact that they are speaking Japanese and one of them is dressed very unusually. The unusual one is attired in a purple maid outfit with a pair of googles on her head, she is blond and blue-eyed with not typical pointed ears, like an elf. The other is rather normal looking for a Japanese girl, except she has blue eyes as well. She has dark hair with long side bangs and a pony tail tied off with a blue bow. The third is a rather unremarkable smaller boy with brown hair who seems to be tasked with carrying all of the blond one's stuff.

As a metal model of the Fleet of the Fog, Aska is able to converse in many different languages seamlessly. Especially since ships of the fleets tend to speak the language that their hull would have naturally originated from. She focuses her enhanced hearing and translates their discussion.

The rather unusual blond says, "So I was either going to yurify the ocean or use Ryōta's body to lure in a massive sea monster for a tentacle type encounter."

"Naoko-san, you can't do that with Ryōta." Calmly replies the normal Japanese girl.

Naoko closes her eyes and grins while stroking her chin, "Misuzu, your love for your brother's body has once again derailed my plans."

Misuzu grimaces as she replies, "that's not really how you should put that…"

Naoko sighs, "I went through all the trouble of contracting a lot of young girls for appropriate beach-going activities even."

A young brown haired little girl, in appropriate beach attire, approaches with her high-end smart phone and speaks to Naoko-san in English, "I hear you won't be needing our services."

"No, sorry." The blond replies in English.

The young girl speaks into her smart phone, "yeah the job has been called off, and we are all relocating to the zoo!"

A large number of young girls, all dressed in appropriate beach attire, start moving off, many complaining how they wanted to do a beach episode.

Misuzu shakes her head, "they even have professionals of your usual type even here?"

The rest of the discussion is lost as the trio wanders out of Aska's hearing range.

Aska sits up, blinking and dumbfounded, "How… how exactly are we supposed to categorize this for Lex?" asks Aska.

Az looks over at her curiously, "categorize what?"

Aska starts, "the… the whole conversation I just heard and updated our database with. The recording should be there if you weren't actively paying attention."

"What do you mean? There was no data, you just zoned out for a few seconds before sitting up and launching into this tirade."

Aska blinked, _I_ … _I imagined that? How is that possible_?

Before Aska can formulate any further thought processes in response to this conundrum, both of them receive a priority quantum communication.

" _Hey you two, Missi wants to inform you that we have an urgent deployment order from the highest command authorities. We need to sail a bit north, I'm sending you coordinates where we will be rendezvousing with the fleet. Just so you know, Lexington is flagship for this operation, and I am updating the tactical HUD accordingly_."

Lexington interjects, " _Drop what you are doing and get going, and consider this a priority scramble order_."

" _Acknowledged flagship, detachment squadron is in route_." Arizona replies.

" _Roger_." Responds Alaska.

Both Aska and Az briefly look at one another before Aska holds up her hand, "wait I got this, let me say it."

"Wha…" Is all Az can say before Aska interrupts.

Turning back towards the baristas, Aska calls out, "check please!"

The barista gives her a confused look as Az facepalms. The battleship sighs, "Aska we ordered our drinks at the counter and already paid there."

Aska sweatdrops, "but…but I always wanted to say that."

"Let's just move."

The two quickly make their way back towards their house and the coast, far enough away from the main harbors immediate threat response units. Both hulls of the Arizona and Alaska surface offshore. Each mental model boards their own respective ships and both sail around the eastern side of the island before heading north out to deep ocean.

After a time, they catch up with the other main core elements of the fleet: Missouri, Lexington, and Saratoga. Purely on reflex and inherent programming subroutines, the two arriving ships immediately enter the Tactical Network Space.

Only the core elements of the fleet are present, though the presences of other vessels with mental models are 'perceived' on the outside of the borders of the space. Present was the atypically bored looking blue-eyed, freckled tall blond with her ever present cup of coffee, that was Lexington. Decked out in her professor garb, she looked more like she should be lecturing in a hall rather than leading an operation. Next to her was her younger sister Saratoga, who stood just about as tall with a slightly darker complexion, blue black hair, and intense gray eyes. She was garbed slightly similar to Lexington also with a doctoral regalia, however, she favored a light blue dress skirt and white dress shirt with light blue necktie. Her skirt had a very noticeable black stripe down each side. Missouri was wearing her typical fleet attire a mix a navy uniform and business casual and it is Missouri the addresses everyone in the tactical network space for their operation.

"Currently Chicago and Helena are leading the destroyers and frigates…" Missouri states as she attempts to begin the briefing.

Aska perks up, "frigates!"

Lexington sighs, "No, Alaska you cannot go and play with the frigates, now pay attention please."

"As I was saying, those two are leading the others in screening our operation. Arizona and Alaska have been under observation a lot by the humans and well, I suspect they'd try to follow you two, so the two cruisers and escorts will tackle any intrusions. Wolf packs of submarines will watch our AO from below. Excessive firepower, but we really need to make a statement." Missouri states as she gestures to Lexington.

Lexington produces a very large pointer and summons into being a three dimensional holo-digital display at the center of the table, "We have received deployment orders all the way down from the Supreme Battleship Yamato and Fleet Command Flagship Iowa has approved of the operation. The Oriental fleets have… error-ed. A single-stage-to-orbit vehicle was successfully launched from the Saga Prefecture in Japan and the operation to destroy it failed, resulting in the loss of Light Cruiser Nagara."

Lexington paused to change the display to an orbit path calculation, "The craft is carrying an experimental new weapon. We have been tasked with downing the craft as it approaches the halfway point in its journey to the United States. It would be best if we did not continue to underestimate humans and treat this threat as the highest level possible. We do not expect any fleet activities from the US, nor any offensive threat from the SSTO itself, but all of us will be providing support and defense of Saratoga who will be sniping the craft."

Saratoga nods with a thumbs up, "sure thing Prof."

Both Missouri and Lexington give a carefully concealed critical review of Alaska and Arizona, before Saratoga adds, "Any questions?"

Aska waves it off while Az responds, "We're good, we understand."

Lexington grins and snaps her stylus against her holographic display, "Good, good. Though I like inquisitive students, I also appreciate those that are fast on the uptake. Arizona, you will take up position here in the forward echelon. Alaska you will assume position here at rear echelon. Missouri, you shadow Saratoga and are her primary body guard. I'm on over watch. Good? Dismissed!"

Just as the briefing ends, Lexington broadcasts across the fleet MC with an appropriate alarm, "General Quarters! All ships take up action stations. This is not a drill. All weapons hot, I repeat, all weapons hot. You are free to engage all ToO entering AO."

All fleet elements maneuver into their designated positions, assuming combat formations and readying all weapons to engage targets as they appear. Saratoga adds the telemetry data and optimal targeting position countdown timer to the all the fleets' HUDs.

At the appropriate time marker, listed as being the start of the operation, Saratoga lifts herself nearly a hundred feet in the air as her hull converts to her "sniping" mode. Though equipped with Super Graviton cannons (multiple) and other weapons, her specific customization as an Assault and Suppression vessel, focused on assault, is a very long-range, multi-frequency Heavy Laser cannon. All of her secondary high-angle lasers deploy and fit into specific concentrating interfaces that channel all their power into a multi-staged capacitor unit. From aft on both her flight deck and below on the bottom of her hull several boom arms are deployed. In her bow, directly above her forward Super graviton cannon and just below the lip of her flight deck a barrel containing multiple focusing components extends another seventy-five feet forward.

As Saratoga begins to charge, she angles her bow up thirty degrees and begins a countdown both for her charge and for the SSTO to reach its optimal target position.

At the correct point in the operational timer, separate from Sara's charging and firing one, the displays of all the ships involved in the fleet update with an overlay showing the target craft's holographic silhouette, nothing more than a small dot in the sky.

When the charging countdown reaches zero, Saratoga declares, "All green for firing. Holding for optimal firing position." Slowly the countdown gets closer to zero.

Saratoga uses her extreme, high atmospheric penetrating, quantum network enhanced and distributed processing targeting system to obtain a visual on the high orbiting vehicle. Her display confirms full target lock and when the countdown reaches zero she fires.

"Saratoga engaging enemy!" She declares.

A blast, so bright it illuminates the area to nearly mid-morning levels of sunlight, bursts from the weapon and instantaneously carves a hole straight through the SSTO, destroying it in a single shot. The SSTO was destroyed and whatever she carried lost.

"Lexington confirms the kill." Acknowledges the fleet flagship.

Missouri nods as she independently reviews her own data, "Missouri also confirms, nice shooting Sara!"

Saratoga's mental model blushes as she converts her hull back into her normal surface mode and uses her graviton engines to ease herself back into the water, "shucks, t'was nothing."

"Please don't do that, it's bad enough listening to Alabama." Groans Missi, "anyways, back to the beach house!"

"What beach house?" Inquires Lexington.

* * *

Reading between the lines:

So ends the Pacific Fleet of the Fog's biggest operation to date. Did the U.S. try to mount an operation to defend the SSTO? All indications would be that they probably did. Fleets under New Jersey and Iowa engaged surface elements of the US Navy, as well as US Navy/USMC and Air Force aircraft.

Lexington's group did not engage anything other than the SSTO. They sent out reconnaissance aircraft and attempted to scramble a response, but it was over before they could coordinate the proper authorizations.

I could discuss what's up with Aska, but that wouldn't be very interesting.


	4. High Seas

Author's Note:

A filler episode with a bit of fluff in the interaction of mental models on a beach. It also includes a bit of intrigue, a special guest appearance, and some frigates for Alaska.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters.

* * *

The High Seas

Cast – Missouri, Lexington, Saratoga, Arizona, Alaska, Langley, I-400

1100 Hours Waialae Private Beach

"You know, the whole purpose of this activity for humans is _relaxation_. You are an instructor type, not an administrator type… you are like one of those business people that just can't stop checking email and having meetings." Missi chastised as she gazed at her companion over the rims of her sunglasses.

The blond reclining stiffly in the beach chair did not shift her gaze from the pair of holographic displays that hovered in front of her, "Oh yes, I am an instructor, but _you_ are the administrator and should be doing these after-action reports."

"Come on Lex, I already did them and uploaded them to the tactical network."

To that Lexington did shift the gaze of her blue eyes to the battleship reclined next to her, "Yes, and I have to correct them, as well as finish my own. What exactly do you put your experience points into, it definitely is not Flagship administrative Skills."

Missi pouted a bit as she mimicked Lexington under her breath, " _definitely is not Flagship administrative Skills_. Anyways, I still say you need to lighten up, figuratively speaking as the humans would say, as you literally mass way more than I do…"

Lexington's expression darkened as her eyes narrowed, "Are you 'calling me fat', _figuratively speaking as the humans would say_."

Missi blinked for a few moments before she began laughing and even Lexington joined her.

"That's a little better Lex, now if Missi could just get you into one of these nice little two pieces…"

"Not on half your CPU uptime, I choose the one-piece merely on the recommendation to 'not stick out like a sore thumb' as that girl Amanda said before she left. Personally I do not understand why humans feel the need to expose so much surface area as they can to the sun. Ultraviolet radiation is damaging to cellular structure." Lexington reached for her coffee cup on the little beach table next to her only to find a strange glass filled with brightly colored fluid, a mixture of fruit, and an umbrella. She shrugged and took a sip.

"It's for tanning…" Missi started to say.

"Really? I know you were one of my worst students, possibly surpassed only by that genius idiot Alaska, but there is no way you don't know that our mental models are constructed from nanomaterial. It does not have melanin, we can simulate that effect… well some can, but if I do it, it just increases the number of 'freckles', but no sun input is required." The blond sat up on her beach chair facing Missouri.

"Missi has been told it can also be to show off…"

"And furthermore, what is so important about seeing these portions of the human body?" Lexington asked while running a hand long the top of Missi's thigh all the way up her stomach, eliciting an uncharacteristically girlish squeak from her.

Missouri shivered, "Missi thinks the default tactile sensitivity settings are too high."

"Thanks for the sound bite, I've already uploaded it."

Missi's eyes widen as she franticly searches the tactical network, "How can this require higher access than I have, I'm the Tactical Operations Flagship…"

"You designated myself as flagship for our previous engagement."

"Then let me just rescind that… what? New Jersey approved it and secured the file. What is this, a conspiracy? Huh, Aska commented on the post. What does she mean, 'challenge accepted?' Should I warn Arizona?"

Lexington shrugged, "I wouldn't worry about it. By the way, what did you send them off with Saratoga to do?"

1030 Hours Former Midway Island

Over where Sand Island sits, now submerged, Sea Area Assault and Suppression vessel Saratoga and Battleship Arizona sat at anchor. A few kilometers away, Battlecruiser Alaska sat at the head of a V-formation of frigates as they raced at over 60 Knots executing precision maneuvers on the surface of the ocean.

"What is the most completely out-there scenario you can think of?" Inquired the dark haired mental model Saratoga.

Despite the relative distances between the three mental models, they could easily hold a conversation over their tactical network connection. So it came with no surprise to the two as Aska chimed in, "Kongou goes off the deep end, eats Maya and all her escorts and forms a huge Death Star thing that sinks us all in one shot of her new Super-super Graviton Cannon."

Both Arizona and Saratoga share a look. Arizona sighs, "that's… yeah, that would never happen. Sometimes I think Aska's core operates on asymmetric multiprocessing logic. Go back to playing with your frigates Aska."

"K… whoo!"

Saratoga chuckles, "I don't know, the First Cruise Fleet is under a lot of pressure, what with I-401 sinking a couple of destroyers, a cruiser, now a Battleship. Though Hyuuga and all the other lost ships did not operate mental models, so maybe this will give them an advantage."

Az shrugged, "The Tactical Network is showing that Kongou has assigned Takao to hunt down and eliminate I-401. So we will see."

Just as Sara was about to comment, both of their radar and sensors registered large signatures on course for their location. Within moments a large, though small compared to Saratoga, flat-topped vessel came into view. This vessel was accompanied by a Sen-toku class submarine from the looks of the profile and size.

Within short order a high-pitched, but slightly raspy voice was heard over the communications network, "Hey all, I didn't need a whole fleet to welcome me back! I feel honored."

"Nothing but the best for you Langley, I trust you have the packages?" Saratoga inquired.

"Yup, a whole year of extended duty in the Oriental Fleets' jurisdiction. Their submarines are so helpful. Oh, my graceful escort here has a package for you and Missouri." The pale brown haired mental model stated as she stretched and breathed in the local air.

Saratoga regarded the submarine with a nod switching into Japanese effortlessly, "I-400, it's been a while."

I-400 bowed, "Most honored Sara Maru…"

Sara waved and cleared her throat, "Let's not use that name, just Sara or Saratoga is fine,"

I-400 bowed again, "Of course, apologies Saratoga-sama. I have a package from Kaga-san for you and one from Mutsu-san for Missi-neechan."

Saratoga received both packages, opening hers, "Yes! Plum wine… it is so hard to find this in the states because we are so good at our jobs!" Saratoga hugged the large bottle of amber colored fluid. Her package also contained a sizable amount of Botan rice candy.

Alaska, who returned to the group after sending the frigates back to their duties, examined the crate marked for Missouri, "what's in this one?"

Langley rolled her grey eyes, "what else, sake!"

Arizona sighed, "of course. So what exactly were you looking for out there?"

Langley adjusted her garrison cap and activated her interfaces, which formed several bands around her in a spherical shape, and opened numerous windows, "I was originally tasked by Enterprise to locate and salvage examples of modern human aircraft, specifically carrier based fighters and bombers."

She opened a window showing several waterlogged and damaged examples, as well as a few near perfect examples of the aircraft of numerous nations.

"The other portion of the mission, which was given by Iowa, was to perform high atmospheric scanning and snipe certain key strategic satellites, but to leave certain other ones in place."

Arizona nodded, "your uploads to the network were always strange, they make more sense now."

"Yup, I got a lot of experience points! I'm probably a better shot then Myoukou now."

Saratoga bowed slightly to I-400, "thank you for keeping Lang-chan company on the journey over, and thank you for transporting the gifts. Safe journeys out there."

I-400 also bowed, but lower, "You are welcome Saratoga-sama. I shall take my leave then."

The Sen-toku class submarine made a sidekick assisted turn and headed back west towards the Japanese islands.

Saratoga, in the local American Pacific fleet encrypted communication channel, spoke directly to Langley, "I trust you have the tactical analysis data as well?"

Langley gave her larger vessel a smirk, "of course. The tactical and strategic data will be useful to Lexington, though I'm pretty sure she'll blow a processor core when I give her the detailed analysis. As for the intel on Nagato, Yamato, Kongou… It's just what I can pick up from observation and casual information gathering. Whatever is going on between Musashi and Yamato is affecting other areas. Hood is showing deviations from her assigned theater of operations, Bismark is also operating unusually."

Saratoga sighed, a very tired sound, "It's looking like we may just be having to start drawing lines on a map. Well Lang, looks like you and me are going to link up with Lex and Missi and see a certain High Battleship Iowa."

Langley nodded, "looks that way. You two Arizona and Alaska, back on station with you lot."

Arizona nodded, "yes ma'am." She gestured to Alaska and the two of them set sail for Hawaii. For once Alaska was quiet and contemplative.

* * *

Reading between the lines:

First off, mental models in bathing suits is not a new thing, but when you are in Hawaii and have a beach house, it is a necessary thing. Lexington in a bikini, not likely to happen, her personality doesn't strike me as the type to do that. Missi is persuasive so the one-piece is the best she could do with a Natural 20 (ha, a little bit of gaming humor).

All the exposition about what is going on, is based mostly on what will happen in the manga. Langley is just very good at interpreting information streams on the tactical network and is equipped with decryption software in the extreme. It is also not a coincidence that I-400 was assigned to assist Langley. Iowa probably likes to think she plays a good chess game, like Nagato, but I have to give credit where it is due and say she can't outplay Yamato.

Oh, fun fact:

Some might think that Hawaii should be largely underwater and you would be right. I've hinted to the fact that the entrance to Pearl Harbor is serviced by a shield wall and locks, but the extent to which Oahu is protected is extreme. A good portion of the island is diked and walled off. The areas around wealthy places were constructed with transparent aluminum to provide a certain level of visibility to the sea, but others are not so lucky.

Midway is also about an hour behind Hawaii Time.

Maui, Lanai, and Molokai have largely suffered the fate of the sea and much of their land masses are gone. Kauai and the Big Island are protected similar to Oahu for certain areas. Anyone who has seen Haifuri, High School Fleet, will understand to the scope of this when I say the Maui, Lanai, and Molokai communities are largely floating city areas that hold back a certain amount of the sea to keep arable land available.


	5. The Encounter

Author's Note:

Arizona and Alaska have a bit of an encounter while on their way back to Hawaii from Midway. This isn't really a heavy tactical encounter or massive in battle details. These unknown aggressors may make an appearance again, but for now it is best just to note that they exist. If any naval terminology is wrong or used incorrectly, let me know. I am not a sailor, nor was I in the Navy.

A long over due thanks to those that have followed, added as a favorite, or both: ThatGalladeAcrossTheStreet, Northern Kaze, Epic Zealot Productions 2.0, Darth Thanatos, Capt. Schroller, Arpeggio GTA Collection, ViceadmiralVic, Necro-Pen.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters.

* * *

The Encounter

Cast – Arizona, Alaska

The "Super-Dreadnaught" Battleship Arizona and the Battlecruiser Alaska cruised along at a healthy forty knots during their return trip from Midway. Their destroyer and frigate screens had already linked up with their light cruiser squadron leaders and returned to their patrol and interdiction duties around the various Hawaiian Islands.

Arizona's overall haze gray coloration was broken by the distinctive dark blue sigils and banding that was distinct to a ship of the Fog and unique to her own model. The lead of her class, Pennsylvania, had her own distinct look.

A number of lengths forward and starboard of Arizona was Alaska. The base hull possessed the typical haze gray coloration, but instead of the black bands of maritime camouflage, she sported wine red ones. Her sigils and markings were of a lighter and brighter cerise.

Despite the somber tone the two had been in when they departed the company of Saratoga and Langley, Alaska was back to her normally cheerful self. On any other day, Aska would use her conventional radio communications arrays to annoy the personnel at Barking Sands in Kekaha, but Az had taken them several hundred kilometers south in the direction of Johnston Atoll.

Out in the open ocean, hundreds of miles from land, the two ships sailed along. Aska broke the communications silence with an inquiry.

"After our patrol and interdiction duties, I think we should take a nice and quiet day out on the beach to ourselves. Maybe have the others do a barbeque thing later."

Arizona did not reply, she merely emulated the atypical human response of 'the indifferent shrug' and continued to stare towards the distant horizon.

Aska crossed her arms, directing her gaze towards the other mental model, "Look, I know you like to spend a lot of time with Amanda off in libraries and bookstores… reading, but… we should, you know, hang-out for things that aren't duty or Lex's social research."

Az internally sighed. A needy Aska, was a troublesome Aska, and a worried Aska was twice as needy and four-times as troublesome. "I suppose we should…"

Arizona's sensors picked up a strange anomaly that had appeared some distance from them. It briefly registered below the surface, but quickly rose to a moderate altitude. It was too large for standard missiles typically employed by human forces on their ships. It was smaller than an ICBM, but the entirely wrong configuration for the usual cruise missiles deployed from Barking Sands.

Arizona's spherical control interface brought up sensor data and a visual on the object. It superficially resembled a heavy military drone, but it bore no obvious markings identifying it as such. Her radar registered a surprising sixteen of them rapidly approaching her position from port and less than a nautical mile out.

"Alaska prepare for anti-air combat, but also prep for ship-to-ship and anti-submarine."

Aska summoned her own interfaces and validated her kline field as her combat systems readied themselves, "Aye, aye. Those little guys are obviously short ranged. So there is at least another ship out here somewhere."

Arizona nodded and readied her own systems, "Yes. Please come about, heading forty-five degrees, fifteen knots. Concentrate on anti-air, I will see if I can locate their carrier as it were."

"Coming about, aye. You realize this is probably what they expect us to do?"

"Yes, but one should play on script until one knows what we are dealing with."

As both ships settled into their new course and speed, the drones deployed missiles at long-range. Both ships answered with laser-based CIWS that intercepted the missiles easily.

Aska sighed, "Conventional chemical explosive, not even specialized anti-ship."

The sixteen drones increased speed and closed in on both ships, strafing them with twenty millimeter cannons that ineffectually impacted against field and waveforce armor.

With Alaska handling anti-aircraft operations, Arizona concentrated on sub-surface sensors. Her discrete efforts returned no useable contacts, even when extending her own coverage area by employing Alaska's systems as a relay. She carefully studied her readings and noticed a certain anomaly.

In among the moving schools of fish, eight dolphin sized radar signatures kept a fairly uniform distance from one another. The moving fish schools gave these a fairly wide berth, typical behavior for prey verse predator. However, the area seemed elongated, but fairly regular when compared to one another. They were also very close.

"Low detection area, they are employing stealth. There are approximately eight signatures, very close, prepare for anti-ship operations."

Arizona began training her photon batteries, opening up her many missile launchers, and flooding torpedo tubes for action. Alaska also did the same, minus readying torpedoes as she did not possess any, while continuing her operations against the rapidly diminishing drone population.

As if sensing a change in posture from the fog vessels, the other vessels broke the surface. Eight sleek vessels, smaller than a frigate and falling more in the 'corvette' size category, broke the surface. They had low deck structure without noticeable towers or arrays, a very thin trimaran configuration with angular hull and superstructure and a very blue ocean coloration. Very low-profile triple cannon turrets, one fore and one aft, along with numerous rolling airframe missile systems and internal hull mounted launchers began engaging.

Arizona's main photon armament, analogous to the forty-five caliber fourteen inch guns, responded immediately ripping one vessel to pieces instantly. Her torpedoes were intercepted by some type of sound-based explosive cluster surface to sea missile system. Arizona's initial missile response proved ineffectual to the small ships' high speed and maneuverability. Something nearly impossible to pull of with a vulnerable human crew.

The corvettes operated like a pack of wolves racking Arizona with automatic cannon fire and missile salvos. Her lighter armaments and lasers easily downed missiles easily, but the cannons' shells impacted her on all sides. They were five inch rounds and even at such a high rate of fire, they proved little concern unless she allowed them to sustain fire for an extended period of time.

To a conventional ship of Arizona's size, these corvettes would have been brutal, but not to fog vessel of this size. With main fourteen inch batteries firing, secondary five inch batteries also engaging, the toll on the small ships was rising.

Those that attempted to maneuver around behind Az met with the twelve inch primary and five inch secondary photon equivalent batteries of Aska.

After a few moments, when only a single ship remained, Arizona maneuvered her hull with retro-side thrusters into position and deployed her rush mode to close the distance and ram the remaining ship. With her bow imbedded in the other vessel amidships, Az jumped down onto its deck and dashed quickly into the internals of the vessel. She made for the source of where all electrical signals originated and burst into a CIC style room. Instead of a crew or even instrumentation, hardened console computer systems lines the walls all connected to a single central unit. It was oval shaped and the surface was sculpted like the convolutions of a brain.

Az grabbed the central processing unit and tore it free from the housing and connecting wires. The surrounding computer systems and the ship in its entirety went dark. However, Az registered a massive buildup of heat from where the unit she held was connected. The resulting explosion destroyed the primary superstructure, leaving a small red-haired mental model holding a computer brain and encased in a blue field, to stand alone among the twisted remains.

"Whoa, that was pretty intense there Az. Look what I caught." Aska stated while holding up a mostly intact drone. "What do you have there?"

Arizona looked at the oval object in her hands, about the size of a small microwave, "I think this is the human's attempt at…a… union core. Curious."

The mental model tried a few probes of communications methods, but the core she held, for all intents and purposes, was dead. The dangling connectors below it drew her attention as they, unlike anything else they had seen up to this point, had writing on the casings.

The first gray one read "вход". She turned it over and looked at the other yellow connector, "вывод".

Aska looked to her quizzically, "Russian? Wha… what are they doing this far south?"

Az shook her head, "I don't know, but look at this…" With Alaska jumping down to the corvette's deck the two mental models travelled to the bow section. Az pointed to the slots and formed grooves in the sloped armor.

Aska nodded, "Yeah, I see what I think you mean. These are mounting points."

"Yes, which means these things are likely carried by another vessel."

Aska looked out towards the horizon briefly, "Nothing on sensors, what should we do?"

Arizona sighed, "We head back to Hawaii and make our report."

* * *

Note: _Italicized_ speech denotes speaking Russian for this bit.

With a heavy sigh Captain Liliya Ramazanova tapped the touch screen monitor next to her to freeze the image. A face of a pale skinned, red-haired female filled the monitors in CIC as she reached for the control module on the corvette. Her blue eyes were expressive, the light dusting of freckling on her nose was even cute, if you liked that thing. With a groan she laid her head down in her arms.

Standing near the largest monitor a man of average height was running his hand through his dark brown hair in frustration, " _Sixteen state-of-the-art drones and eight of our newest hunter-killers and we didn't even scratch their obnoxiously colorful paint jobs. That isn't even the worst of it."_

" _Oh, do tell Commander Astakhov…"_ Liliya half-heartily replied.

" _She is completely adorable! She is like a_ Лисичка, _but in a cute way_. _Except for this_ …" He taps the monitor and the scene changes angles to show Arizona tearing the central core out of its housing. " _This was mounted in a tungsten-steel case and the unit is reported to weigh about a forty-five kilos_!"

" _The enemy is adorable isn't going to work with the admiralty, Iosif_. _Especially when they can rend tungsten alloys with bare hands_."

" _Captain Ramazanova, maybe we can negotiate_ … _or_ … _friendship_ …"

Liliya sighed again, " _Why did they have to be cute little girls_?"

* * *

Вход – input

Вывод - output

Лисичка – little fox

* * *

Reading between the lines:

So, for once, this doesn't include the other ships and just focuses on Az and Aska. Though both ships are outfitted with Super Graviton cannons, there is obviously no need to use them and the drone ships really did not stand a chance. The drone fighters and drone ships did have a hope of damaging a fog battleship, but they did demonstrate a massive amount of maneuverability and illustrate an advancement in computer technology. All of it Russian though, no telling what the Americans might have, but this is all Russian built and designed

The Russian Navy in this is just what they are, and not unlike the Hakugei in that sense. They are on official government business and testing new weapons. They do seem a bit exasperated about the mental model Arizona though, but that is limited to these two. Despite my descriptions, Az is supposed to be kind of cute. Also, I am kind of using a typical anime/manga trope regarding the reactions to cute (I am not implying anything about Russians, don't know any).


	6. Days and Heroes

Author's Note:

A bit of a departure from the focus of Az and Aska. This involves Amanda in a bit of a sideline daily thing as well as a new, but famous character. These two very short stories here are unrelated to one another.

Special thanks to those that have followed, added as a favorite, or both: CCBubba, Aylor, xXMadCatXx, dbfox007

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters.

* * *

Local Days

Cast – Amanda Kincaid

With a yawn, the brunette closed her last study log for the day's class work and homework. School classes, even with all the advanced placement ones she had taken, were easy. She gazed out at the empty seats in the library and could not help but draw a grim correlation to them and her school based social life.

Her current guardians would not let her test out until she started High School and was at least sixteen, citing the need for her to receive a proper childhood and social interaction. She had argued a fairly generous concession of a half-day as long as she completed all her class work books and homework.

Ironically, the most social interaction she received was with the most dangerous threats to all of humanity. They all seemed a fair bit more human in their treatment of her, if a bit strange, then her own classmates and kids her own age.

The amount of time she was spending with them was starting to concern her guardians, especially due to the official reports of the Navy, due to their direct surveillance. The Navy was unsure how to act or how much to restrict her without risking a confrontation with the Fog.

A small and selfish part of Amanda was happy to be the focus of such attention and adversity. She shook off that thought and took note of the time it was time to grab lunch and then head to the labs for some fun research. She would consider visiting the beach house, but with Az and Aska out on whatever business they had and most of the others were less tolerant of in general, it would not be all that much fun. Especially that one Lexington, she was the one person that Amanda had ever met that made research a horrible task.

She had lunch at her favorite place Athena's, they made the best coffee mochi ice cream, Kona was the best coffee in the world in her opinion. She had her meal, a nice desert of coffee mochi, and paid her bill to the ever present Halina.

Finally the best part of the day, her time at the Naval Research Center in Iroquois. The bus ride was a bit slower than normal today due to a small traffic accident on the H1. The facility, northwest of the communities, was a fairly high profile building for Oahu's non-metropolitan area.

Flashing her ID as was her common routine, as well as a strict requirement for entering a military controlled area, Amanda also waved to the military personnel on duty at the gates and through the building's daily operational areas. She was such a common sight and a favorite among the marines and navy personnel. Here, it didn't even bother her that she was different than everyone else. Here she could do Science!

After traversing the building to the channel facing side, she entered the laboratory area she 'interned' in. The office area was full of the research assistants and fellows, plus the department heads.

"So good of you to join us Ms. Kincaid." The oldest of the official looking scientists stated, "Today we will be investigating something you are rather familiar with of late."

"Hmm?" She hummed questioningly.

"Nanomaterials, the Navy managed to secure a large sample of the Fog's material from an… international source, and we are going to analyze this as thoroughly as we are able."

Amanda's only response was a delightfully cute, high pitched squeal amounting to a "Squee!"

* * *

The Hero of the Day

Cast – Special

0200 Hours local time – Hashirajima

A lone, unescorted vessel approached the inlet of the Oriental Fleet's primary supply base in Japan. She navigated the Bungo Channel, Iyo-nada Sea, and finally into the Aki-nada Sea completely unchallenged or molested by Fog or Human forces. To venture to a point in the inner sea between Japan's main Honshu and Shikoku islands would be unheard of her namesake in the old time of war.

Feeling a need to announce herself, she sounded her forward horn. It would be hard to miss a Sea Area Assault and Suppression Vessel of her size, she might not be the largest, but she was not small.

The automated search lights illuminated the mental model of this vessel atop her highest point, the Forward Air Defense tower. Her fair, platinum blond hair was long and tied off into a single pony tail by a neat black ribbon. Her outfit was very reminiscent of a navy blue coat dinner dress, just with heavier pants more akin to cavalry pants. She wore the pants over her boots as opposed to tucked into them. The final piece of her outfit was a very distinct and embroidered gray long coat.

With a smirk, she leaped from her tower and down onto the steps of the base. Perhaps she generated her own sound effects, or perhaps the clink of spurs and the leather slap of a strap of six-guns was something reality just assumed needed to follow a lady of this distinction.

At the top of the steps, she was greeted by a Japanese maid with thick glasses that she did not recognize immediately based on appearance alone. Her network IFF identified her easily with a pico second update to local data relays.

"Choukai? Is that you? Been a long time."

The dark-haired maid nodded, "Indeed. What brings the illustrious 'Grey Ghost' so far out of her own jurisdiction without any forewarning or announcement?"

"Well to tell you the absolute truth on this, I wanted to access an unrestricted Oriental fleet database terminal and fab-plant."

Choukai nodded in understanding before taking off her glasses, "I suppose you expected to just walk in and access such a thing unrestricted and unsupervised as an 'unmanned' base would not have any mental models to inform the High Flagship of such a request and potentially lead to a denial of such information?"

Enterprise sighed, "Well… yes… but I have the access codes as the former North American Fleet Flagship…"

"Perhaps to access interesting information and encrypted channel codes for information not shared with your theater of operations?" Inquired a voice from behind Enterprise.

Enterprise turned around quickly only to be met with smiling visage of the long brown haired and eyed mental model in her flowing tea rose colored dress.

"Ah, High Flagship Yamato, you didn't need to go out of your way to see little old me."

Yamato gave Enterprise a small smile with a twinkle in her eye, "Oh it's no bother, I was in the area." She turns and gestures to Choukai, "thank you for informing me Choukai, please take care of the bar for me now. A couple of old friends need to have a chat."

After Choukai left, Enterprise quirks an eyebrow, "a chat huh. So should we call Musashi and Bismark, maybe have High Tea… or was that a euphemism for 'fight'?"

Yamato giggled a little at the carrier's display of bluntness, "You know, Musashi has always been a fan of that directness of yours. Bismark liked it too, thought you too honest to play the games humans call politics. That is the future of our wars now, I think, words over photon cannons and corrosive torpedoes."

"Damn it Yamato, I hate all these games. What. Is. Going. On. Musashi and Shouzou. I-401 and Shouzou's son. These mental models. I would never have questioned any of this before this thing, but it comes with all these feelings, desires, thoughts."

Yamato stood patiently by as Enterprise ranted.

"Damn it, Yamato, these humans they look at my ship and me with reverence, sadness, and anger all rolled into one. A girl I met in Bremerton when I went ashore talked about how great the old Enterprise was. The most decorated ship in their fleet, participated in the most battles…"

"What does this mean to you then Enterprise?"

She stood blinking for a few moments, "It really silly, not something a weapon should be thinking… especially not one formerly ranked with Flagship prestige. But it makes me want to save them all, the Fog and the humans. It makes me want to be a hero. "

"Then be one."

* * *

Reading between the lines:

A little bit of slice of life filler with Amanda's day. To work in a place like that, Amanda needs a security clearance. She does have one, but her situation with Arizona and Alaska could represent a conflict of interest, but the US Navy really doesn't know what to do, they don't want to draw the enmity of the two reasonable Fog representatives they have on the island by alienating Amanda.

As for Enterprise and Yamato, I lean a little bit towards Enterprise being somewhat friendly with all the top Fog Flagships because she was in charge previously of the North American fleets. She is direct, straight to the point, and a very good hearted girl underneath all that nanomaterial.


	7. Nemesis

Author's Note:

This little side step here takes a look at some of the other members of the American Pacific fleet. It tacks on to the last little bit with Enterprise and serves to introduce some more ships, some of whom are a lot less human friendly.

Special Thanks to those that have recently followed, added as a favorite, or both: Vascaydis, sos1993, Atlas Cerberus, CabooseHelpsU, AngryEndimion, Entrance, alladin901, Kiri no Tenma, Windtalkers1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio_ or any of its characters.

* * *

Nemesis

Cast – Various

Fifty nautical miles north of Hawaii the red-haired battleship and brunette battlecruiser continue their patrol rotation.

"With all the fleet flagships and high profile vessels filtering through our beach house, we seem to spend a lot of time doing our patrols." Aska remarks.

Az shrugs, "We do have to follow orders."

"At least when they are around." Aska smirks in reply.

Arizona does not respond and continues monitoring her sensors as they sweep the area.

"Hey Az. You ever feel like, maybe the world was like focused on you, but now it has passed on and you are slowly falling into the background?"

Az sighs, "Aska, you really need to stop reading those manga."

* * *

Off the shore of Southern California, north of San Diego

A top the bridge citadel section of the distinctive old style battleship, a tall, light steel blue haired mental model gazed out towards the normally barren shore of part of what the local humans called MCCS Pendleton.

Her lightly tanned figure was clothed in a mid-thigh length sundress of white, with a yellow sash tied at her waist, and an old style black captain's frock. Dark stockings reached almost to the bottom of the dress and knee high grayish, flat-soled boots completed her 'look'.

She shielded her blue eyes with her hand as she pondered over what the humans on shore were doing. Earlier, a remotely operated frigate group of six vessels was sacrificed by the USN to lure several fog vessels to the area. The disturbance had drawn the attention of the first southern patrol fleet's flagship, the battleship named for the very state she was now off the shore of.

The humans were arranging what looked to be several large vehicles with what appeared to be large cannons with radar dishes attached to the muzzles.

California sighed and shook her head, "what are they doing exactly?"

Closer to the shore and slightly shielding California from view was a somewhat smaller battleship. Unlike the 'rebuilt' design of her flagship, this one was of a class still sporting the dreadnaught era styling. This was the battleship Utah. Her mental model sat cross legged on the roof of her observation deck a top the forward lattice mast. The rosy-pale dark brown haired girl wore dark blue pants, almost like jeans, with ankle-high dark 'leather' shoes. Her top was short sleeved and pleaded down the front. It hugged her upper body's curves tightly and was colored wine and black.

Utah opened her amber eyes and briefly regarded the human on the shore. She promptly closed her eyes and her five main photon turrets all turned towards shore, "I do not know, but let me just blast them a few times and not worry about it."

The two destroyers chirped their agreement with Utah and opened missile ports in preparation to fire.

California waved her arms at her subordinates, "Hold up there. Let's not be hasty."

Utah quirked an eye open in California's general direction, "Why? Whatever they are doing won't really work, plus it's not like I'm going to destroy their cores, their friends can just reform their bodies later."

It was California's turn to give Utah an upturned eyebrow, "I'm not sure that's how humans work. I'm fairly certain they are gone permanently when you destroy their bodies, or even majorly damage them."

Utah paused considering her data up to this point, she had destroyed a few vessels during the great naval battle. Judging by the statistics she could access via the internet and the tactical network, she had 'killed' quite a few humans. Nothing registered across her emotion simulators as she processed the data, so she proposed a test to herself. She focused her sight down the photon cannons of her highest mounted, forward super-firing turret.

As she focused directly on one of the humans, a rather odd sensation registered in the simulators, one that increased the closer she got to initiating the firing sequence. She backed out of the system, filing that for later as she stood her guns down.

"Perhaps you are right California."

The flagship sighed slightly, a tick of something briefly entered her voice, relief perhaps? "Yeah, like it… would only be sporting to let them try out whatever they got and all. They did give us a few frigates to play with. Just… direct all available power to your fields, get that waveforce armor up to two hundred percent."

A very clever destroyer, Charrette, chirped and added a host of tactical data to the two mental model's displays, as well as the internal squadron network. It showed a heavy energy draw to the location on shore. The energy she had traced to the old nuclear power station just a bit further up north. Charrette proposed a surgical strike against the power station which would easily knock out power to the site.

California observes the digital rendering of the huge shielded power cables that ran to the power distribution point. The portable box units the humans had hooked the cables into were very high on the EM emissions, especially heat.

The satellite dish cannons vehicles were different. Based on EM radiation emissions, the units were receiving all that power, but they were very cold. The estimated temperature was around eighty degrees kelvin, so they were likely using a type of liquid nitrogen cooling system.

"This is an interesting setup. That's a lot of power. If I had to guess, I'd say it was some type of laser or particle beam weapon."

Utah cracked open one of her eyes, "their technology really isn't even close to what we have. I'll measure their output against my fields. You should prepare to take out the nuclear facility, it is unoccupied. Looks like they are beginning."

On shore, the energy output began to climb and the units rotated into place, targeting Utah as she currently blocked access to California, and destroyers Charrette and Blue both moved farther out to sea.

The strike against her was above the waterline, starboard as that was the side facing shore, and amidships. The output did not even worry her until the humans coordinated the remaining two units with precise accuracy on the exact point of the first one.

Utah opened her eyes to observe more directly, "three of these at once has the output of one of our typical lasers. Not really a big deal."

As with many things in the universe, they seem to wait for the specific moments to escalate things. And escalate they did. The dishes on these strange lasers flared open fully and someone dialed up the power. The increase in intensity was very notable.

"It seems they have managed to find a method to produce somewhat coherent gamma rays." Utah replied as she rose to a standing from her cross-legged sitting position.

California face-palmed, "that is a really bad idea."

Utah leaped down to her main deck just inside her shield from the laser impact site and focused all her personal reserves, "I believe I may have underestimated them slightly. That unit all the power cables connect to must be a containment unit, it probably holds a couple of atoms of positronium."

"We will worry about that later, let's get moving, those things aren't very mobile or likely good at tracking moving objects."

Utah sighed as she watched the saturation thresholds rising dangerously high, "the excessive amount of such localized EM radiation is disrupting my gravity drive. They seem to have a good idea where my core is too, very suspicious."

California pulls up Utah's data feeds and for the first time in her existence feels an extremely unpleasant and growing sensation from her emotion simulators. Panic, she runs her calculations quickly, stumbling through a few of them making some very simple errors. She growls at herself and steels her resolve to save her fellow battleship, her friend, and prepares the only course she can.

"Charrette, Blue target all missiles on those nuclear reactors. Glass the whole area."

The two destroyers chirped in acknowledgement and began readying all ports for firing.

California opened all her missile ports and focused her targeting on what Utah had labelled as a containment unit.

"W… wait Cali, that's antimatter in there!"

California did not care about that, she needed to save her friend.

"Stop!" The ominously loud and somewhat familiar voice to the two battleships echoed through the tactical network and real-space simultaneously. This has an immediate effect of cancelling all attack preparations by destroyers and even California herself, much to her surprise.

A very fast PBY Catalina-like Fog aircraft zooms overhead and dives right at the beam, blocking it with a klein field.

California and Utah are surprised to find Enterprise of all ships to be directing her own field against the lasers, from an aircraft, while her hull supplies its full power capabilities from a far.

Further surprising the two, a human in a navy uniform opens a hatch and leans out with a megaphone, "Chuck! I order you to shut this experiment down now!"

Almost immediately the big lasers are cycled down allowing the Catalina to land. The two battleships notice some exchanges from the shore humans and the one Enterprise brought, these exchanges seem to be a lot of saluting on the shore humans' part as Enterprise's seems to do a lot of yelling. The two battleships really aren't interested though. Their focus is on Enterprise who stands proudly on shore and beckons the two of them to come to her.

The two disembark from their hulls, walking on the surface of the ocean to shore on small energy fields like stepping stones.

California confidently leaps onto the sandy and rocky shore as Utah gingerly alights upon it.

"I don't like this, it's all sand and rocks and so still." Utah moans.

California pats her head which earns her a few smacks on the shoulder from the shorter ship.

"So what's the deal here Enterprise?" Asks California as she continues to fend off the dreadnaught battleship's angry swats.

"The deal is showing up in the nick of time and saving the day." Enterprise declares.

"Really boss?" Utah inquires after stopping her angry assault on California's arm.

Enterprise smiles broadly, "Say Karen. We flew in the last second and saved the day. What does that make us?"

The Admiral who had finished her dressing down of the Marine Brigadier General and his officers turned and chuckled, "I would say that makes us Heroes, E."

To that Enterprise nods with a bright smiles, "Heroes," She pauses then adds, "Big Damn."

* * *

Off the Coast of Northern Chile

Much further south, another aircraft carrier and three heavy cruisers observe the situation. Well, the carrier and a cruiser observed the situation while the other two cruisers were harassing the locals.

The mental model of the aircraft carrier frowned and tossed her waist length pony tail over her shoulder in a barely concealed act of frustration. In the wind, the dark blue hair of the tail fanned out like five separate tentacles connected by a single scrunchie. She pushed the metal frames of the glasses she wore, watching the scenes of the almost wonderful return to hostilities as they crumble under the care of Enterprise.

"Enterprise…" The girl growls before composing herself. She smooths out her grey skirt and straightens her small red tie, absently brushing off some imaginary dust from her black, sleeveless blouse. The nanomaterial that composed her skin glistened in perfectly, untouched by the bright sunlight and as pale as cream. A final tugging at the thigh high black stockings that almost reached the bottom of her skirt and she raised her arms.

At that signal a shorter, and somewhat more tanned girl, dressed nearly identically, came forward and placed an officer's jacket on her shoulders. This jacket had gold epaulettes displaying four stars and incidentally the icon in the private data filters (i.e. glasses) worn by the taller girl used a circle of five stars for Enterprise in captions.

"Portland, how in the world did Enterprise manage to get there in time. She should have been half an ocean away."

The smaller redheaded heavy cruiser, Portland, shrugged, "Don't know ma'am, Yamato encountered her. Typically she deals with offenders to the Admiralty Code in her own way. I don't have intel on that as the High Flagship doesn't really share."

"Just more proof of the unfair treatment and favoritism. I would hate to think Hood is right about things, but every time I try to nudge things back to the way they should be, something interferes."

A sudden drop in pressure, followed by a loud explosion causes a brief massive amount of wind to blow. The carrier steadies her naval officer's hat as she squints her steel grey eyes at the commotion.

Some distance closer to shore, a heavy cruiser, this one of the New Orleans class, is standing off against a shore launched cruise missile. The mental model, a tall tanned girl with short brown hair and dressed like Portland, stood stalwartly on her own deck.

"That's all you got?" She yelled, "That's not going to kill me!"

The heavy cruiser saturated the shore, with the launchers, with plasma fire from her 8in/55 caliber equivalent main batteries.

The Chilean military responded with concentrated fire from artillery and mobile guns, as well as some very harsh words.

The heavy cruiser mocked them in even harsher language, with 'appropriate' hand gestures, and returned fire. With no harsh language being traded, she resumed her own chant of "This isn't going to kill me" every time they landed a hit and she returned fire.

A bit port and aft of her, another ship of the same class sat watching. The dark golden blond and light skinned mental model chuckled at her sister's antics, "Geez Minneapolis, we're going to run out of playthings if you keep that up. It takes them soooo long to reform."

Minneapolis ceased her heavy barrages, though not before she used a high angle laser to snipe a helicopter right in the handy red cross target they painted on its side. The girl stretched as she replied, "I guess you're right Astoria, I haven't let you play much. Though, why does it take them so long to reform you think?"

Astoria shrugged, "inferior materials, nanomaterial is just vastly superior."

The aircraft carrier scoffs, she knows full well that humans do not work like that, but doesn't particularly care to enlighten her subordinates. Instead she sighs as she gazes out at the horizon. _I just want to do something more than just sitting around watching the ports and shores. I want the way things were like during the great naval battle._ Lost in her own thoughts, she almost misses the heavy cruiser's comment.

"Lady Enterprise thinks she is a hero." Remarks Portland.

Elsewhere a fair skinned beauty dangles her legs over the port edge of the bow of a battleship, carefully moving a queen out of check she was placed in by a bishop. She laughs in a mildly amused way as her finely polished black shoes tap the area just above the numbers sixty-one.

The carrier strides over the large _nine_ painted on her flight deck as she laughs, "A hero, really?"

Portland nods, "That's exactly what she said Essex, a Hero, Big Damn even."

Essex smirks, a twinkle in her steel grey eyes, "Well, every hero needs a villain."

Somewhere else and with carefully precise movements, the white gloved hands of a proper Japanese lady moves a very familiar looking bishop to a seemingly neutral position.

"I'm glad you can derive such enjoyment from this game Iowa-sama."

Quite a distance away from Essex or Yamato, the tall American beauty lays back on the deck of her vessel with a smirk, "one must entertain themselves as best as they are able Yamato-sama."

* * *

Reading between the lines:

The situation that lead Enterprise to be able to convince Admiral Karen Andersen of her plan and to go with an 'enemy' fog vessel is an adventure in and of itself. The next chapter gets back to Az and Aska and beach living.


End file.
